Release

Visit www.HelpYourselfHelpOthers.org to locate a mental health screening site or take an online screening (beginning September 1, 2015).

WHAT: National Depression Screening Day (NDSD), held annually on the Thursday of the first full week in October, is dedicated to raising awareness and screening people for depression and related mood and anxiety disorders. NDSD is the nation’s oldest voluntary, community-based screening program that gives access to validated screening questionnaires and provides referral information for treatment.

This year marks the 25 year of this revolutionary campaign. To recognize the milestone, Screening for Mental Health is planning special outreach initiatives and will host a celebration in November and honor an outstanding mental health advocate.

WHERE: NDSD takes place nationwide. Individuals can locate a mental health screening site or take an online screening by visiting www.HelpYourselfHelpOthers.org (beginning September 1, 2015).

WHEN: NDSD is October 8, 2015, but screenings may be available in your area as early as September 1, 2015.

HOW: Thousands of organizations register to host an NDSD event each year. The organizations, which include hospitals, community centers, social service agencies, government organizations, older adult facilities, colleges, secondary schools and military installations, provide information about mood and anxiety disorders and offer screenings—in-person or online—to their community. After completing a screening, individuals receive referral information to local agencies that offer further evaluation and treatment if needed.

WHY: Depression screening is effective in linking at-risk individuals with treatment options. Results from a 2009 independent research study by the University of Connecticut and commissioned by Screening for Mental Health confirm this connection. The study showed that 55% of participants who completed an online depression screening and who agreed to participate in a follow-up survey sought depression treatment within three months of the screening.